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Measuring Neural and Behavioral Activity During Ongoing Computerized Social Interactions: An Examination of Event-Related Brain Potentials

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Ghosting: Social rejection without explanation, but not without care.

YeJin Park¹, Nadav Klein²

¹Department of Management and Organizations, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General

|May 23, 2024

Summary

Ghosting, a form of social rejection, is often driven by other-oriented motives to avoid hurting feelings. However, ghostees underestimate this care, impacting future relationship opportunities.

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Interpersonal Relationships
Behavioral Science

Background:

Social ties frequently end through rejection, with ghosting (ending contact without explanation) being a prevalent method.
Ghosting represents a unique form of social rejection, distinct from direct confrontation or other rejection behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize ghosting and differentiate it from other rejection behaviors.
To investigate the relational and motivational underpinnings of ghosting.
To examine the accuracy of ghostees' perceptions of ghosters' care and motives.

Main Methods:

Multiple experiments were conducted, including pilot studies to define ghosting, recalled and real-time ghosting scenarios, and cost-benefit analyses.
Studies involved assessing ghosters' well-being concerns for ghostees and ghostees' underestimation of these concerns.
Interpersonal accuracy and the influence of other-oriented motives on ghosting likelihood were analyzed.

Main Results:

Ghosters demonstrate greater concern for ghostees' well-being than ghostees perceive.
Ghosting is partly motivated by a desire to avoid causing emotional distress to the ghostee.
Ghostees' underestimation of ghosters' care leads to missed opportunities for future social support and help exchange.

Conclusions:

Ghosting, while lacking explanation, is not devoid of care; prosocial motives can drive rejection behaviors.
Interpersonal misperceptions regarding ghosters' intentions can exacerbate the negative effects of ghosting.
Improving accuracy in understanding the motives behind ghosting may mitigate its detrimental relational consequences.